cpap cleaning

[SuperSleeper]

I don't use a humidifier, so I think the need to clean the hose is less of an issue for me. If I used the humidifier, I would think that I would be cleaning it a minimum of once a week at least, due to risk of mold, mildew and other little critters that enjoy moist environments.

[DocWils]

The best way to avoid weekly cleaning of the hose is to take tank out and hook the hose directly to the CPAP after use, and run it one for a while - it dries out the hose nicely. Otherwise, what I suggested in an earlier post. And if you do use distilled water, there is a way lower chance of infection building in the hose that you think, simply because although it is moist, there is no growth medium.

[archangle]

Get a spare hose, you'll need one at some time. They're fairly cheap online unless it's one of the heated hoses. If not, you may be able to buy one after x months with your insurance.

Once a week (or whenever), clean it extra thoroughly, dry it, and put it away until the next cleaning cycle. Sitting dry for a week or so will probably help keep germ growth down.

The hose will take several days to try on the inside unless you blow dry it somehow. I've seen water drops on the inside after the hose has sat for 3 days. I use an old CPAP machine to dry my hose and my nasal mask.

My hose will fit over the end of the kitchen faucet to get a really good rinse after you're through with the soap.

The week long dry cycle is a good idea for the mask and water tank as well.

Me, I clean everything once a week or so.

[Abearir]

FWIW, I make wipes for my mask with ViVA paper towels, Johnson baby wash and distilled water. I wipe it daily and wash weekly. I use distilled in my humidifier. That thing gets rinsed about once a week if I remember. About once a month or so unless I've had a cold, I rinse the hose and humidifier with hydrogen peroxide and air dry.

[PaulaO2]

I've not told this story in a while.

Several years ago, I started having allergy issues. Sneezing, snotting, watery eyes. Started using an allergy eye drop as well as went through several different kinds of allergy prescription med but none seemed to really work. We changed laundry soap, dish soap, shampoo, body soap, all that. It was extremely frustrating. This went year round so it was tough to figure out what it was. Then in the fall, I went on vacation with my bro's family to Disney. One benefit is I would get away from whatever was bothering me. Except it didn't. When I got back, as I unpacked, I looked at each item, trying to put the puzzle together. Then I realized the one constant was my CPAP.

I called my DME and they said that it is rare for something to grow inside the machine itself but the hose could be full of crud. So they gave me a new hose and new humidifier tank. I tried the new hose first. Two days later, my symptoms were gone.

Back then, hoses were not as see-through as they are now and were only replaced when damaged. And while I regularly cleaned my hose once a week, after nearly two years or more, crap started growing in there. The DME (they had a different, more helpful staff back then) said they put a note in my file to send me a new hose each time I got a new mask. They just threw one in the box. I've not had an issue since.

Now they are more see-through which I think cuts down on mold growth. I change mine out every 6 months.

Moral of the story is: clean your hose, let it dry completely, and replace regularly.

[PaulaO2]

The best way to avoid weekly cleaning of the hose is to take tank out and hook the hose directly to the CPAP after use, and run it one for a while - it dries out the hose nicely. Otherwise, what I suggested in an earlier post. And if you do use distilled water, there is a way lower chance of infection building in the hose that you think, simply because although it is moist, there is no growth medium.

I have to disagree. Distilled does not equal sterile. Even if it is, as soon as you open that lid, it is no longer sterile. Neither is the tank nor the hose.

[DocWils]

If you keep the distilled water in the fridge, there is very low chance of bacterial growth - it doesn't have a lot to eat, and the cold inhibits growth considerably when there is a very small food source around. Clean the tank daily, and let the machine run on for a while with either an empty tank or moving the hose to the machine itself, and it will dry the inside of the hose enough to slow down any growth. Either way, the hose does have to be changed out every six months.

If you don't use a humidifier, then count yourself lucky, as he chance for growth in the hose is so far smaller that you really don't need to follow this regimen at all, although you should still clean it every now and again.

[iSnooze]

Either way, the hose does have to be changed out every six months.

Forgive my ignorance by why does the hose need to be changed every 6 months? I've have a backup hose that I use in between cleanings but I haven't noticed any deterioration of my original hose and I've been using it for over a year.

[Shastzi]

I am curious too. Why change the hose, if it is cleaned regularly with approved methods and cleaners, and has no flaws, cracks or other physical issues?

[PaulaO2]

- Because crap will start to grow in there. You can't clean everything each time in a long hose you cannot see completely through. Control III may disinfect it but it doesn't scrub it clean.
- The ends start to not want to hold on as well. Even if I switch it regularly between the mask end and the machine end, they start to let go after about 7 months or so.
- They don't make them like they used to. I doubt I could get one of those cheaply made hoses to last more than a year now.
- It's a part that is regularly heated up, cooled, wet, dried, slept on, handled, etc etc etc.

What I do is I keep 2 on hand. The current "new one" and whichever of the older ones is the best. The rest are tossed.